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- $11B County GDP
- $51,629 GDP per Capita
Niagara County
Niagara County
Niagara County is in western New York along the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, anchored by Lockport (county seat) and Niagara Falls (largest city). The economy mixes hydropower (NYPA Niagara Power Project), tourism (Niagara Falls), Lewiston-Porter binational trade, manufacturing, and agriculture (apples, dairy, wine country). The County Clerk operates from 175 Hawley Street.
Property in Niagara
What every owner, heir, and investor should know.
Owning a home in Niagara.
Niagara is a low-cost Western NY market with strong tourism-adjacent rental potential.
- STAR / Enhanced STAR, senior, veteran, Cold War veteran, and agricultural exemptions apply.
- Property tax cycle: school bills September; county/town bills January.
- City of Niagara Falls and Lockport reassess periodically.
- Tax-foreclosure redemption under RPTL Article 11 (two-year window).
- Foreclosure surplus rights under RPAPL § 1361.
- Watch for Niagara Falls vacant-property registry and historic-district overlays.
Investing in Niagara.
Niagara offers very low entry prices, tourism rental demand around the Falls, and steady rust-belt rehab opportunities.
- Tax-foreclosure auctions run by the County Treasurer / cities (annual).
- Judicial foreclosure auctions held at the Niagara County Courthouse, Lockport.
- Land records search via Niagara County Clerk online records.
- Real Property parcel lookup at niagaracounty.gov.
- NYSCEF case search for lis pendens.
- Watch for City of Niagara Falls rental registry, brownfield zones, and STR rules.
After a Niagara foreclosure or tax deed sale.
Niagara uses New York's judicial foreclosure process and runs in rem tax foreclosure under RPTL Article 11.
- Mortgage foreclosures filed in Supreme Court, 8th Judicial District.
- Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale executed by court-appointed Referee.
- Surplus money proceedings under RPAPL § 1361.
- County Treasurer holds annual tax-foreclosure auction; Niagara Falls and Lockport may run separate enforcement.
- Post-Tyler v. Hennepin reforms require return of tax-foreclosure surplus to former owner.
- Notices published in the Niagara Gazette and Lockport Union-Sun & Journal.
Courts and records in Niagara.
- Niagara County Courthouse — 175 Hawley Street, Lockport, NY 14094 — 8th Judicial District
- Supreme Court & County Court — Niagara County Courthouse
- Family Court — 775 Third Street, Niagara Falls
- Surrogate's Court — 175 Hawley Street, Lockport
- 8th Judicial District (Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming)
- Appellate Division, 4th Department — 50 East Avenue, Rochester
- County Clerk — 175 Hawley Street — (716) 439-7022 — niagaracounty.gov
- Real Property Department — 59 Park Avenue, Lockport — (716) 439-7077
- County Treasurer — 59 Park Avenue, Lockport — (716) 439-7007
- Sheriff — 5526 Niagara Street Extension, Lockport — (716) 438-3393